Jewish Dems: RNC Must Cancel Hate Group Affiliated Trip

Washington, D.C. - The National Jewish Democratic Council today called upon Reince Priebus and the Republican National Committee to cancel a trip to Israel reportedly paid for by the American Family Association, a group classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a “hate group” and “extremist group.” The NJDC joined the SPLC in asking Republican elected officials not to participate in the trip, criticizing the RNC for accepting the support of the AFA.

Greg Rosenbaum, chair of the NJDC Board of Directors, stated:

“Helping elected officials travel to Israel is an important cause, one that we certainly support. But having that trip be fully financed by an organization which, as SPLC President and CEO Richard Cohen wrote, has an ‘extensive track record of bigotry and extremism1,’ is completely unacceptable. Haaretz2 and JTA3 have reported that the American Family Association’s organizational leaders regularly4 and publicly5 launch attacks on minorities, claims that have led the organization to be classified by the SPLC as a ‘hate group’ since 20106. This is an organization whose director of issue analysis blamed the Holocaust on homosexuality7, insulting the memory of 11 million victims. We stand with the Southern Poverty Law Center8 in calling upon the Republican National Committee to cease their relationship with the American Family Association, and for all elected officials to refuse to take part in this trip. Furthermore, it is our hope that the Republican Jewish Coalition will join us in condemning this trip, as well as their national leadership’s choice to affiliate with them.”